Weigela plant named ‘SMNWFRP’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Weigela  plant named ‘SMNWFRP’, characterized by its upright and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; relatively dark green-colored leaves; freely and remontant flowering habit; light red purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Weigela florida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNWFRP’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Weigela plant, botanically known as Weigela florida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMNWFRP’.

The new Weigela plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact and remontant-flowering Weigela plants with attractive flower colors.

The new Weigela plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Weigela florida ‘Red Prince’, not patented. The new Weigela plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Red Prince’ in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. in 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Weigela plant by softwood stem cuttings since 2011 in Grand Haven, Mich. has shown that the unique features of this new Weigela plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Weigela have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMNWFRP’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMNWFRP’ as a new and distinct Weigela plant:

-   -   1. Upright and rounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Relatively dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Freely and remontant flowering habit.     -   5. Light red purple-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Weigela differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent, ‘Red Prince’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Weigela are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Red Prince’.     -   2. Plants of the new Weigela exhibit a remontant flowering habit         whereas plants of ‘Red Prince’ do not exhibit a remontant         flowering habit.     -   3. Plants of the new Weigela and ‘Red Prince’ differ in flower         color as plants of ‘Red Prince’ have red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Weigela can also be compared to plants of the Weigela hybrida ‘Bokrasopin’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,572. In side-by-side comparisons plants of the new Weigela differ primarily from plants of ‘Bokrasopin’ in flower color as plants of ‘Bokrasopin’ have darker red purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Weigela plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Weigela plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘SMNWFRP’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMNWFRP’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were grown during the spring in an outdoor nursery and in one-gallon containers in a polypropylene-covered greenhouse in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Weigela production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants of the new Weigela were two years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Weigela florida ‘SMNWFRP’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Weigela     florida ‘Red Prince’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood stem cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             months at temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; upright and rounded             plant habit; rapid growth rate; vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 20             lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances             lateral branch development; dense and bushy plant form.         -   Plant height.—About 52 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 44 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 27 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 7 cm to 8 cm.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Mostly upright.         -   Color.—Close to N144C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite; simple.         -   Length.—About 6.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to oblanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Rounded.         -   Margin.—Serrulate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Slightly pubescent; leathery.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent; rough with prominent             venation.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 145A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 143C; venation, close to 145C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3.5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 145A. Color, lower surface: Close to 145C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             terminal clusters of four to seven flower each; flowers face             mostly outwardly to downwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant; sweet, pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Weigela exhibit             a remontant flowering habit during the spring in Grand             Haven, Mich.; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower cluster diameter.—About 9 cm.         -   Flower cluster height.—About 7 cm to 10 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 4.2 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 3 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm.             Shape: Obovate to spatulate. Color: Close to 71B; towards             the base, close to 65B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Salverform; five petals fused into a             tube with separate petal lobes. Petal lobe length: About             1.1 cm. Petal lobe width: About 1.2 cm. Petal lobe shape:             Roughly obovate to oblanceolate. Petal lobe apex: Obtuse.             Petal lobe margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Slightly creased, glabrous.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 75B. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 75B and 64B. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 75A; color does not fade with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 75B and             NN74C. Throat: Close to 75A and 6A. Tube: Close to NN74C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five in a single whorl, fused;             campanulate calyx. Length: About 7 mm. Width: Less than             1 mm. Shape: Narrowly triangular, elongated. Apex: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth; glabrous; coriaceous. Color, upper surface: Close to             NN144A. Color, lower surface: Close to NN144C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Strong; flexible. Aspect: Upright to outwardly.             Texture: Slightly pubescent; coriaceous. Color: Close to             166B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement: Five             per flower. Filament length: About 2.1 cm. Filament color:             Close to 73A. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther size:             About 8 mm. Anther color: Close to 155B. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 155B. Pistils: Quantity:             One per flower. Pistil length: About 3.1 cm. Style length:             About 3 cm. Style color: Close to 155B. Stigma shape:             Flattened globular. Stigma color: Close to 155B. Seeds and             fruits: Seed and fruit development has not been observed on             plants of the new Weigela to date. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Weigela have exhibited good     tolerance to rain, wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about −32° C. to about 36° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Weigela have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Weigela plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Weigela plant named ‘SMNWFRP’ as illustrated and described. 